Haneda Airport in Tokyo unveiled its new five-story International Passenger Terminal and opened its fourth runway on October 21, 2010. These changes mark a new start for Haneda as a full-fledged international airport. Since Narita International Airport opened in Chiba Prefecture in 1978, operations at Haneda have been limited to domestic routes and regular chartered flights to a few destinations in East Asia. But now, Tokyo is once more a direct gateway from countries around the world after an interval of 32 years. Haneda’s facilities have also been given a major upgrade in line with the changes, so that it now serves as much more than just an airport, offering commercial facilities that showcase Japanese culture to global passengers.

24-Hour Haneda Operations Expand Travel Options Haneda’s main attraction is its location very close to the center of Tokyo. New stations on the Tokyo Monorail and the Keikyu line have made travel times to the city center among the shortest of the world’s major international airports. It takes as little as 13 minutes to get from the airport to Shinagawa station on the Keikyu line, where passengers can transfer to the Shinkansen bullet train, or to Hamamatsucho station by monorail. From Hamamatsucho, it is just six minutes to Tokyo Station. This compares favorably to the travel times for major international airports such as JFK in New York (35 minutes) and Charles de Gaulle in Paris (29 minutes). Arriving at the airport could hardly be easier: the monorail station is just a one-minute walk from the departure lobby.

By February 2011, Haneda Airport will offer regular flights to 17 cities in Asia, Europe, and North America, with up to 54 flights scheduled in total. The airport continues to operate as a major domestic airport, served by up to 450 flights a day. The aim is to turn the airport, along with Narita, into one of Asia’s main transport hubs by operating around the clock, including flights early in the morning and late at night.

Haneda’s unbeatable location and early-morning and late-night flights have already made the new international facility a big hit with local travel agencies. The new terminal makes it much easier for people in Japan and nearby countries in Asia to take weekend breaks abroad, leaving on a flight after work on Friday and returning early in time to head straight to the office on Monday morning. The airport’s central location and convenient connections to domestic flights look certain to change the way tourists and business passengers travel.

Showcasing “Made In Japan”Haneda’s new five-story International Passenger Terminal is an attraction in itself. The arrival lobby takes up the second floor, with a soaring departure lobby on the third floor. A large entertainment space that includes 105 shops and restaurants is another major feature of the terminal building. The “Edo Market Place,” after the old name for Tokyo, comprises the Edo Koji zone on the fourth floor and Tokyo Pop Town zone on the fifth. The facility offers some great “Made in Japan” shopping and dining options—even if you don’t have a plane to catch!

The Edo Koji zone is modeled after a typical street from the Edo Period (1603–1868), lined with restaurants selling traditional Japanese dishes like sushi, sukiyaki, ramen and soba noodles, and tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet). Restaurants serving Japanese fine cuisine are also available, such as Hyakuzen, which offers a changing menu of seasonal specialties. The Dining 24 Haneda Diner is open 24 hours a day. Walking around this impressive area under its dynamic soaring roof gives visitors a taste of the traditions and culture of old Japan. Many gift shops can also be found on this floor, offering items popular with foreign passengers: T-shirts with Japanese writing on them, traditional wrapping cloths (furoshiki), traditional paper goods, and a wide array of bags.

The fifth-floor Tokyo Pop Town presents a completely different side of Japan. Modeled after contemporary Tokyo, the facilities give visitors an introduction to the cultural scene in Japan today. The "Cool Zone" includes shops with an array of action figures and science-related toys. Perhaps the most striking feature is the Starry Café, the world’s very first airport planetarium-café. Over 40 million stars can be projected on the domed ceiling of the café. When it is not being used as a planetarium, the space becomes a café and bar, where customers can enjoy a drink under the stars. The "Hot Zone," meanwhile, has a 50 meter slot-car racing circuit as well as shops specializing in the anime figurines and other pop culture items popular with kids and grownups from around the world. The idea of the Tokyo Pop Town is to shine a spotlight on Japanese products and locations and to give visitors from around Asia and the rest of the world a taste of what is going on in Tokyo and the rest of Japan. (January 2011)